Sigh. Say it isn’t so, Facebook. :/

I’m spit shining my laptop, getting ready to head west. Yup, the sound you hear is a gigantic shoe horn prying me out of my writing lair. That’s because I’m heading to Vegas. For work. Should be a fine experience but… well… the whole travel thing.

I’m most comfortable in small groups. One on one sit downs are even better. But I suppose I can handle crowds once, or twice a year.

My point? If you live in the Vegas area, shoot me a line. I adore talking shop with fellow freelancers! One on one, that is. Maybe even a small group.

There’s nothing more wonderful than chatting with fellow creative types.

Instead, I found myself navigating a crazy maze of emotions and head scratching moments. With each new blow, with every new reality, I realized I had a tangle of issues to unwind before I could resume my creative life. Perhaps you’re in the same boat.

If you’ve found yourself with a dream, a higher goal, but just can’t get started… this book’s for you. It’s for every dreamer, aspirerer, gentle soul who wants to achieve their life purpose, but can’t seem to get on the path.

Each short chapter contains a bit of my personal story, applications to your situation, as well as prompts to help you untangle your inability to get moving. You’ll also receive a unique set of tools in the Bonus Tool Chest in the final section. You can also download the official “Stuck” meditation.

Facebook Shenanigans? Say it isn’t so…

Beth Ann Erickson

In the latest (released today) Notes from Minnesota Podcast, I talk about a crazy article I stumbled across from The Guardian. According to their research, Facebook is testing a new system in six countries moving all “non-promoted posts” to a secondary feed.

This would mean your main feed would focus “entirely on original content from friends and adverts.”

OK. That’s all fine and good. But what if you’re a writer with a professional page? What happens if you own a Facebook discussion group? What’ll happen to those posts?

I’m foggy on what will happen to discussion groups, but I’m pretty sure I know what’ll go on in your author page. But, let’s back up a bit.

Back in the golden days, people would “like” my author page and I’d occasionally post something. They’d read it. Some would “like” it. Boom. Done.

Then one day, I posted something and received a Facebook Team message saying (paraphrasing here): If you want the folks who like your page to actually see your message, give us money.

That was a head scratcher. Next thing I knew, Facebook was advising me to pay them to find more people who would “like” me. (That actually sounds a little sad…)

But, the math never worked for me. If I paid Facebook to find “likers” then I had to pay for my “likers” to even see my posts… doesn’t that make for a rather odd scenario? I couldn’t help but feel I was breaking my rule about how money should flow towards the content creator/writer?

I decided to pass on growing my Facebook presence. Instead, I focused my efforts on expanding readership using other methods. Good thing I did because now companies who built large platforms on that site are fearing they’re going to get hit hard.

Case in point? Companies in the six test countries I mentioned earlier who didn’t pay Facebook’s advertising fees have watched their user engagement drop by around 60 – 80 percent. That would be quite a hit if you relied on that interaction for the lion’s share of your income.

Facebook responded to the Guardian article by stating, “We have no current plans to roll this out globally.”

Yeah. “Current plans.”

I have a hunch Facebook might become a little tricky to navigate if you use it for your freelance biz. This is a perfect example of why I advocate freelancing like a farmer. I talk a lot about that topic in my fully updated edition of Jumpstart Your Writing Career (And Snag Paying Assignments). (Just an FYI.) 😛

Also: Some of my author friends who use Facebook Advertising see this as a good development because they feel it’ll give them an edge over their competition while making their posts more visible. Some have added they feel this could reduce PPC.

I’m not so sure on either count… but I could be pretty jaded on the topic. (No link for this one, just an observation on my part.)

Please forward this message with your friends, writing groups, peers, and anyone who you feel will find this content useful. I think they’ll find the information helpful and I know I very much appreciate your support.